Something crashed downstairs, ripping me from sleep. I sat up and turned on the lights. Another crash sounded. Samuel wasn’t home yet. What was going on?
Fear filled me. I knew I was never alone. If Samuel wasn’t home, there was at least one bodyguard on the premises, but I still wished he were here.
An even louder crash, followed by a curse. It wasn’t Samuel’s voice that had cursed. Anxiety filled my belly. A code was required to enter our home, so it had to be someone Samuel trusted who had entered. He’d never give the code to someone he didn’t trust, even if he was drunk. Plus, a guard team surveyed the entrance area and backyard. I hoisted myself in my wheelchair and moved to the elevator. When I arrived down in the foyer, I found Renato supporting Samuel, who seemed incapable of standing on his legs. His gaze was unfocused. They must have stumbled against the big decorative vases beside the entrance door, broken both, plus whipped the glass decoration from Murano off the sideboard. The mirror above it had a crack in it too. As I wheeled closer, a cloud of alcohol hit me.
“What happened?”
Renato shrugged, his gaze sliding over me. I realized I was only in my nightgown and crossed my arms over my chest. He finally looked away and focused on my face. “Nothing. He had a bit too much to drink. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
I gave him a disbelieving look, motioning at how Samuel hung in his grasp. “This isn’t normal. This isn’t just a bit too much to drink. He’s completely out of it.”
Renato took a step toward the staircase, obviously struggling with Samuel’s weight. “We had some fun. He can usually handle his liquor better.”
Because he had lots of practice. I pressed my lips together, trying to bottle up my anger. “As a friend, you shouldn’t let this happen.”
Renato scoffed, his eyes hard and mocking as they settled on me. “He’s an adult, a grown man. I won’t tell him what to do, and neither should you.”
My mouth opened. “Let’s agree to disagree.” Surprise crossed his face, then he shook his head. Luckily for us, he kept whatever crossed his mind to himself.
“Help me take Samuel upstairs,” I said simply and wheeled back into the elevator. Renato followed me without a word, still supporting Samuel who seemed to have passed out completely by now. “I’ll go up first. All three of us won’t fit inside.”
Once I was upstairs, I waited for the elevator to come up again.
“I didn’t think you’d be like this,” Renato said as he staggered out of the elevator.
“Like what?” I asked as I led him to our bedroom and watched as he dropped Samuel unceremoniously onto the bed. Samuel didn’t stir, and I was beginning to worry.
He straightened and watched as I moved toward the bed. “So opinionated and outspoken.”
I felt Samuel’s throat for a pulse and relaxed when I found it. “Because I’m a woman or a woman in a wheelchair?”
Renato gave me a caught smile, obviously realizing he’d overstepped his boundaries. Usually, I wasn’t this easily affronted. I’d heard too much to take other people’s opinions of me to heart, but my worry for Samuel was making me a tad touchy.
“I’m worried about Samuel,” I said simply. I didn’t want to get into an argument with one of Samuel’s best friends. Maybe his only friend, as I’d never seen him with anyone else.
Renato waved me off. “He’ll be fine. Just pop a couple of painkillers into his mouth and give him a strong coffee in the morning.”
“Can you help me get him out of his clothes?”
“Just let him sleep in them. That’s what I do.”
I gritted my teeth, growing annoyed at how blasé he was. Was it a man thing? A Made Man thing? Or was I really overreacting? I didn’t think so.
“All right. Thank you for getting him home. I’ll handle it from here.”
I pulled Samuel’s shoes off.
“Are you sure you don’t need help?”
“I’ve undressed him before, don’t worry,” I said, not even blushing. I was so frustrated with the situation. I felt helpless in a way I’d never experienced, not even when my body failed me after the accident, and I didn’t know how to come to terms with it.
Renato nodded, then he turned around, and I heard him walk down the stairs. I took a deep breath. After his shoes were off, I got rid of his socks, then leaned over him to unbuckle his belt. Getting him out of his pants was far more difficult than anticipated. Samuel was tall and much heavier than me. I hoisted myself onto the bed, hoping for a better angle. After plenty of tugging, his pants still hung around his hips. I blew out my breath and decided to deal with his shirt for now. But without his help, I couldn’t pull it off either. Tears of anger and frustration gathered in my eyes. I went to the bathroom in my wheelchair, pulled scissors from a drawer under the sink, and returned to Samuel. I began cutting away his shirt and the tank he wore beneath, then proceeded to destroy his pants in the same way. I hoped these weren’t his favorite clothes, but maybe that would teach him a lesson not to drink so much. Though I doubted Samuel was at a point where a lesson like that would stop him from drinking. We hadn’t been married for very long, but I wasn’t blind nor stupid. Samuel had a problem. I just wasn’t quite sure yet how serious it was.
I tugged the rags away and tossed them to the floor. Samuel didn’t stir. I left him in his boxers. Because he lay on the covers, I couldn’t even tuck him in. It wasn’t very cold in the bedroom, so I simply left him as he was and awkwardly crawled under the covers, which Samuel weighted down.
I extinguished the lights, but I was too agitated to fall asleep. My thoughts revolved around what I’d witnessed in the past two weeks. Samuel drank too much. He drank every day, especially when he was in a bad mood or stressed. I wasn’t sure if I was overreacting. When could you call someone an alcoholic? Was there a universal rule? I couldn’t ask anyone I knew. At least not from our families. But maybe I could ask Priest Agnello. Perhaps he had experience with Made Men who struggled with addiction, though I doubted many of them made their problem public since it could cost them their standing and, depending on their addiction, even their lives. I had to make sure Priest Agnello didn’t think Samuel was the reason for my interest. Considering Samuel’s controlled and poised outward appearance, I doubted many people would suspect him. Still, I couldn’t risk anything. Too much was at stake.
Or was I overreacting? I had only gotten a small glimpse into Samuel’s life. Maybe the past two weeks had been an exemption. Perhaps he didn’t usually drink as much. Stress could do a lot to people. His life had changed drastically with our marriage as well.
Samuel snored, which only added to my anger. I had half a mind to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms, but I worried he’d stop breathing. What if he was close to alcohol poisoning? I covered my ears with another pillow and tried to fall asleep.
The mattress shifted, and Samuel groaned. Then something heavy landed on the floor. I sat up and turned on the lights. Squinting against the sudden brightness, I realized Samuel was no longer in bed beside me. I scooted over to the other side and looked down. Samuel lay on his side on the floor, still asleep.
There was no way I could get him back into bed, and for what? He’d probably roll out of bed again and possibly hit his head on the nightstand. He could sleep on the floor tonight.
I turned off the lights, but then worried that Samuel would throw up and I wouldn’t notice until it was too late. I didn’t want him to choke on his own vomit. With a sigh, I turned the lights on and lowered myself to the floor beside Samuel. I leaned against the bed with a cushion at my back and covered myself with the blanket, then extinguished the lights.
With my hand on Samuel’s shoulder, I closed my eyes, hoping to catch at least a few hours of sleep. My dance session would be a mess otherwise.
SAMUEL
I woke up on the floor. Even before I opened my eyes, I knew that was where I was. My stiff neck and back definitely spoke a clear language. But the worst pain was in my head. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this shitty after a night of drinking.
I peeled my eyes open and stared at Emma. She sat on the floor beside me, propped up against the bed, her head tilted awkwardly to the side. One of her hands rested on my arm. I rolled to my back, and her hand slid to my chest.
Fuck. What happened?
Renato must have brought me home last night. The idiot should have taken me to his place instead. Emma didn’t need to see me like this.
I sat up despite the lightning strike of agony that hit my brain. I touched my temple and blew out a breath. After another moment to gather myself, I pushed to my feet. That was when I realized that my shirt hung in tatters from my body, and my pants looked as if an angry kitten had ripped into them. I found the scissors on the nightstand. I shook my head in amusement, then regretted it. Emma must have cut me out of my clothes. The thought sobered me immediately. Fuck. I hadn’t noticed someone cutting clothes off my body with scissors. If someone had used the moment to attack… Dammit.
I bent down despite the way my vision swam and lifted Emma into my arms. She stirred as I gently laid her down in bed, and her eyes fluttered open. “Shhh. It’s just me. Sleep.”
But her eyes opened all the way, and the look in them was like a douse of cold water. I moved to kiss her, but her hand came up and covered my mouth. “You smell like a liquor store.”
I straightened. “I’ll take a shower and brush my teeth.”
Emma tried to sit up in bed, then winced. “Ouch. Sleeping on the floor is a bad idea. Everything hurts.”
“Why did you?”
She gave me a look as if that should be obvious. “I was worried you’d throw up and choke on your vomit. I wanted to keep an eye on you.”
“I was fine.”
“You were not. You didn’t notice anything. You and Renato broke all our vases and decorations downstairs.”
“You can buy new stuff. You didn’t even pick the decorations, so this is your chance to get something that fits your taste.”
Emma gave me an indignant look. “Samuel, this is serious.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t make a big deal of it. I’m a grown man, and sometimes men get drunk, especially after a shitty day.”
I turned around and headed into the bathroom. I wasn’t in the mood for a discussion like that, especially not when my head felt like it was about to explode. Though, I’d probably never want to have this discussion.
I shoved down my briefs and what remained of my shirt, then stepped into the shower and turned it warmer than I usually showered because the prospect of cold water hitting my head wasn’t enticing at all.
Leaning against the tiles, I closed my eyes. After a couple of minutes, I could hear Emma enter the bathroom, then the sound of water in the sink followed by the electric toothbrush and the occasional squeal of her wheels.
I slowly opened my eyes and turned the water to as cold as I could bear, all the while watching Emma. She was focused on brushing her teeth, but I could tell she wasn’t happy with the situation. I stepped out of the shower, rubbed my hair dry, then wrapped a towel around my waist before I joined Emma at the sink. She looked up at me, her eyes briefly lingering on the bruises on my upper body. A few of the recruits had managed to land hits but nothing major.
“Why was yesterday shitty?” she whispered. Her brown eyes searched mine with concern and tenderness.
I sighed. I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to share with Emma. Finally, I said, “Two recruits had trouble with the questioning. For one of them, it was his second attempt to become an initiate, and he failed again because of his inability to withstand pain.”
Emma grimaced. “How old was he? I’m sure he’ll grow used to pain over time.”
“Sixteen. Old enough to bear the pain I caused, trust me. He’s too weak.”
“And that made you mad?”
“No, what made me mad was his reaction to me telling him he wouldn’t become an initiate. I had to make a bloody statement.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You killed him?”
“No, though it would have been a suitable reaction. I cut off the tip of his tongue.”
Emma paled. “But he’s only sixteen.”
“I have to lead my men and these recruits. If someone disrespects me, they’ll be met with my wrath. Now he knows and so does everyone else. Sometimes they all need reminding.”
She didn’t need to know how the asshole had disrespected her.
Emma swallowed thickly. I could see her mind working, wondering why that had made me get drunk.
“Stop worrying,” I told her, squeezing her shoulder.
Emma nodded, but I could tell she was still not convinced. She needed to learn when to give up.
On my way to a casino, Dante’s number flashed on my screen. I gritted my teeth. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that he called a day after I’d punished the boy. Had his father complained?
I answered the call. “Dante, to what do I owe your call?”
“Good morning, Samuel. I just wanted to inquire about the state of things in Minneapolis.”
“Let me guess, you got a call from an angry Captain yesterday because I punished his useless son?”
Dante chuckled. “No, not quite. His mother called Valentina, crying.”
I rolled my eyes. “So he ran to his mommy so she could protect him?”
“I don’t know the details, and I won’t call the father to find out. I assume you had a reason to punish an initiate like that.”
“He won’t become an initiate. He failed under torture twice, and he insulted me and my wife. He’s lucky I didn’t cut off more than the tip of his tongue.”
“Indeed,” Dante said. “He should be able to withstand torture at sixteen.”
“He’s weak. He won’t ever amount to anything. I could withstand more torture at twelve than that pussy.”
Again, a dry chuckle. “You are one of my best men, like your father.”
I waited for him to say more as I parked in front of the casino. This one was underground, hidden in a nondescript warehouse.
“But that decision falls under your jurisdiction and is not why I’m calling.”
“No?”
“I want Leonas to see how things are done in different cities. I’m sending him to Minneapolis for the entirety of August so you and Pietro can show him your ways to do business.”
Surprise filled me. My cousin Leonas was fourteen. Of course, he had already been inducted at thirteen. He would become Capo and couldn’t wait until he was fifteen or sixteen like some others. “We’ll show him the ropes and keep him safe.”
“He’s quite adept at protecting himself, but he’s also very cocky and boisterous.”
I knew of Leonas’s troublemaking ways but not everything, I was sure. Dante would make sure the worst didn’t become public. “We’ll keep him in check. Will he live with my parents?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure Mom is ecstatic to have someone to coddle again.”
“She lost you and Sofia both in the same month.”
“Maybe Leonas will make her glad the nest is empty. No offense.”
“No offense taken. I’m very aware of Leonas’s nature.”
“The question is by what means do you want us to keep his nature in check,” I asked carefully.
Dante cleared his throat. “There are certain limits I’m not willing to cross due to Valentina.”
Of course. Dad too had been limited by how he could punish me by Mom’s love for me. “But those limits aren’t ours?”
“They aren’t. But obviously, he mustn’t be harmed in a way that won’t heal.”
“Of course not. I like the little shit a lot, so that will prevent that from happening anyway. The same goes for Dad.”
Dante chuckled again. “Little shit? You realize he’ll be your Capo one day.”
“And by the time he’s Capo, I’m certain he’s a man I’ll respect too much to remember I ever said those words.”
“He will be.”
We chatted more about the details of Leonas’s stay before I hung up. Having Leonas in Minneapolis added another problem to my shoulders, but I couldn’t refuse Dante.
